Relentless
by RunningWildAndFree
Summary: Autumn Cousland needed revenge to what Howe did to her family when she was ten. But she just might get distracted by someone she knew for a long time.


A.N/ So... I've had this idea in mind for a while, and I really wanted to do it! So the Cousland's name is Autumn. She's a preteen girl, but Howe's men attack when she's about ten. Alistair is also eleven so... I wanted them to be a similar age. OKAY? Okay. Enjoy!~KitKat

Relentless  
Chapter 1: Betrayal and Death

Ten year old Autumn Cousland was running, for her life. Her mabari doing the best to keep up with her. She barred the door and got trapped in her bedroom. She didn't think, so she hid in the closet just as Howe's men broke through it. Her older brother, Fergus, has gone off with King Cailin's men earlier that day. Her father said to get to bed. The Grey Warden was at Highever. Arl Howe's men had just attacked. Autumn had woken up when there was a knock at her door. She had no idea what to do. Her mother or father was nowhere in sight. _The larder. _She thought. _They have to be there. There is an exit by it. The servant's way out. _She looked around through the small crack. Howe's guard was right by her. She didn't have much time to think. A dagger was laying on the ground it the closet she was hiding in. She didn't know what to do. She doesn't know how to fight. _Okay, how did Fergus train? _She wondered. _He had a longer pointy sharp thing. What's it called? A sword! _She had just remembered how Fergus had used a sword, but Howe's men had found her. She was going to die, but she was rescued. The Grey Warden, Duncan, had just saved her life. She was shaking with fear. He was looking for her, no doubt about that. Her older sister, Willow, was dead. Her other brother, Peter, had died. Duncan took Autumn's hand and started to run. A bunch of his men were chasing after them, but Duncan didn't care. He was going to take Autumn to Ostagar. Alistair Theirin, Jory, and Daveth was waiting for him, a Warden was watching them. They were training to be Grey Wardens. Well, a little young. They were eleven, but they were chosen.

Duncan was was wondering many things about Autumn. All he knew is that she had an older sister name Willow. But she died a while ago. And that Fergus was at Ostagar. They weren't even close to the larder, that was where her parents were. Everything went well, until the point he lost Autumn. One of her father's knights had her in his arms. Her blonde hair, that's how you can see her. Teyrna Eleanor Cousland was running up to her. She wasn't how she looked when he first met her. Eleanor was wearing light leather armor instead of a dress, she had a bow now, her hair is just in a ponytail instead of a braided bun. They still had to look for her father, Eleanor's husband. He was last seen limping to find them. But Duncan had no clue where they had gone. As just being the new Warden Commander, he had to learn a lot of things. Genevieve had just went passed away. Fiona had other things to do, Maric had just died, everything was going by so fast.

He had no idea what to think. They _had _made it to the Larder. Just not in time. They had to fight through a bunch if men to get through. Autumn was petrified. Everything was going on too fast for her to process this. Duncan had made a deal with her father to take her to Ostagar, bust she refused to go. He could understand that. He didn't want to become a Warden, but he made her go anyway. She was kicking and screaming. She never wanted to leave her mother and father behind. She had to. Autumn had to. Their horse was galloping. Her mabari doing its best to keep up. They almost died. Howe's men had broken through the door. Many of the Teyrn's men were dead, those who survived were captured, who knows what Howe did to them? Well, he does...

The first thing Alistair saw when Duncan came back from Highever was a breathtaking girl, about his age. But she looked very tired. Her blonde hair was tangled and covered in blood. Her clothes are ripped. Her mabari was calmly at her side.  
"Duncan, who is she?" He asked him.  
"This is Autumn Co-" He was cut off by her.  
"Shields. Autumn Shields." Her voice was tired. _She's hiding something. _He thought. _But what is the question. _He couldn't hear anything. Well, he could hear just fine, he couldn't hear Duncan talk.  
"Alistair! Show Autumn to the spare tent! Or I could have Jory..."  
"No! It... it's fine."  
"Thank you, Alistair, but I think I can find my own way. I need to take Ripper for a walk." She started to walk with her mabari, who's name is Ripper. Daveth nudged Alistair.  
"Hey Alistair, you like that Autumn girl, don't you?" Alistair was now blushing madly.  
"Maybe a little. But she _just _got here and I don't want to disturb her, okay? She needs some time, just give her time. Maker's Breath, Daveth."  
"Daveth! Stop tormenting him. Alistair, please see if she finds her way." Duncan glared at Daveth while Alistair started to walk away.

Autumn was walking around Ostagar. It was much bigger than she expected it to be. She was sneaking around, but she got lost. _What would Duncan say if I got lost? _She . She was stopped by someone she met earlier, Daveth.  
"Oh, there you are Autumn. Listen quickly, because he's coming. I was talking to Alistair, he likes you!"  
"You talk fast for someone who's eleven. But okay, I've met some people like that already." She replied, forgetting she was a noble for that one time.  
"Wait, what?"  
"Got to go! Bye!" She took off running.

That was the last time Daveth tried to set Autumn up with information. He had a scar on his cheek because of her. Daveth never did tell Duncan how he got it, he didn't want to get her in trouble. After all, you really can't blame her. Only he knows what happened... her last name isn't really Shields, she's a _Cousland_. The last one other then Fergus Cousland himself.

Autumn has been in her tent for a while, she's been here for a week, she cried herself to sleep every night. She just can't get over what happened happened to her parents, to everyone. Alistair had tried to see her, but she didn't notice him. Duncan also didn't allow it. There was so much he wanted to know about her, but he felt like he new so much about her already.


End file.
